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really wish he had more marks but oh well
named after Saint Servatius of Tongeren
Below is the excerpt I wrote for someone's travelling lioness, Bean. She was killed immediately after I sent her off and I feel really bad about it. #RIPBEAN2024 im so sorry [items added: pack of rats, crawling silver beetles, herb pouch, tefnut's flower]
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Although her stay at her home territory was lengthy, the time she spent wandering afterwards felt even longer. It seemed like no matter how long she walked, no matter which direction she chose, there would only be dusty shrubland and jagged rocks to see. There wasn’t even any wildlife to ease her nerves or satiate her hunger. She debated on trying to head back home and start fresh in a different direction, but at this point she couldn’t even tell where she had come from. At least the rocks provided a bit of much needed refuge from the unyielding heat. It was late at night, underneath one of these shelters, that Bean saw the first sign of life since setting paw in unfamiliar territory - a large, frantic mouse. It seemed like it had seen better days, but Bean made sure it wouldn’t be able to see any more of them. The mouse was wiry and it tasted dirty. She grimaced as she took her first bite, but she had to take what she could get.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there…” A gentle voice cooed from the darkness. “How kind of you. Thank you for the help.”
Bean jumped at the sudden noise and shot her gaze in its direction. A tall, lithe lion draped in feathers and baubles quietly made his way into view. Bundles of herbs and dead mice hung at his hip. His sleek brown coat shone in the pale moonlight, and his sunken eyes were so sharp they almost seemed to pierce Bean’s. She didn’t quite know what to make of him - he had an air of confidence, but it was hard to glean any more details from him at a glance. She stood up, making sure her posture was poised in case of any confrontation.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen you around here before… Where have you come from?” The stranger asked. He seemed to be studying her body language as he spoke. Bean stamped down her unease.
“I’m from a pride very, very far away from here. My name is Bean. I’m just passing through - I’m a travelling lioness.” The stranger’s gaze softened at this. He stepped closer to her, tail gently swaying.
“Ah, I see… I’ve only ever heard stories of travellers such as yourself. It's been a long time since one of them stopped in our territory… The last one was here long before I was born. My name is Servatius,” He said, dipping his head slightly. “The Herald is currently absent, unfortunately. I’m sure he would have welcomed you himself if he weren’t. I’m merely a prophet, but I hope my company is adequate, at least.”
Bean relaxed her posture a bit. Thankfully, it seemed like he didn’t pose any threat. She didn’t have the strength to fight at the moment, anyways. “Honestly, I’m just happy to see anybody around here. It’s been days since I’ve had the chance to talk to someone.”
Servatius smiled softly. “It’s easy to get turned around here. You’re lucky to have run into me. However, I’d advise against eating the rest of that mouse.” He said, nudging the carcass with his paw. “It’s good that you killed it. No doubt it’s disease-ridden like the rest of them.”
Bean followed his gaze and made a moue at what was meant to be her dinner. “What a waste... I was so hungry.”
Servatius laid down next to Bean and began to rummage through a pouch tied around his waist. “I don’t have much of anything with me besides dried meat and herbs, but if you’d like, I could try and make you something to eat that’s a bit nicer than pestilential vermin.”
Bean swiveled her ears forward in contentment and sat down next to him. “That sounds great.”
The two lions chatted for hours in the dim glow of the moonlight, only stopping for an occasional bite of the seasoned scraps of meat that Servatius had prepared. Bean told Servatius all about her prior stops, about her goals of spreading information and bringing home riches, and especially about Paintball. Servatius shared much about himself, too - about the territory and his pridemates, about journeys that he had gone on, and even about his own sibling, Tryphon. They swapped stories until Bean was too tired to swap any more.
When Bean awoke in the morning, Servatius was nowhere to be found. The only remaining traces of him were left in the same place he was laying the previous night - a small leather pouch squirming with silver beetles and a bundle of herbs and bright pink flowers. Bean smiled and tied the pouch around her waist. She wished Servatius could have been here so she could thank him for his hospitality, but part of her had assumed he would leave before she woke up. She wished him a silent farewell, wherever he was, and started on her journey once more.
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